A locking device of this kind is often mounted in a hatch, a door or the like in order to enable locking of the hatch etc., and it is typically operated by turning the handle through 90° between the open and the locked position. Hereby, a free end of the bolt member is moved typically from a position underneath the hatch etc. to a position where it extends outside the limits of the hatch to engage a coaming of the hatch. In an open position of the hatch, it may inadvertently occur that the locking device is in a position where the bolt member projects more or less beyond the limits of the hatch. In case the hatch is slammed in such bolt position, there is an obvious risk that the bolt member and/or the coaming may be damaged. The present invention has as its object to provide a locking device of the kind initially stated that does suffer from this risk.